Save the Children to Provide Child-Friendly Spaces for Children Affected by Border Crisis

June 23rd, 2014

Save the Children is working to address the immediate needs of children at the US border who have fled violence and insecurity in Central America. Thousands of minors are now overwhelming border control institutions ill-prepared to meet the basic needs of such large numbers of unaccompanied children. Those numbers are only expected to grow in the coming weeks and months: According to government estimates, more than 47,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the border, with more than 60,000 expected this year.

"Parents have made the desperate decision to send children alone across thousands of miles. These children have already faced a long and dangerous journey to reach the United States, and are extremely vulnerable to further harm," said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. "We are working quickly to identify their needs and help provide them a safe space where they receive the age-appropriate care and support they need."

Save the Children opened a child-friendly space in McAllen, Texas on Saturday to provide psychosocial support and care programs that will serve an estimated 150 mothers and children each day. Child-friendly spaces are one of Save the Children's signature programs to provide care and services to children in crisis, both in the US and globally.

Save the Children is also working closely with government agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services, to support their efforts and ensure children receive the support, care, and protections they urgently need.

In Central America, Save the Children has worked for many years to address the needs of children facing poverty and violence, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.